Kathmandu. The United States is preparing to impose tariffs of up to 100% on many countries, including India and China, for buying crude oil from Russia.
The U.S. Congress has passed a bill to impose tougher sanctions on Russia and Iran. The bill is officially titled Lindsey O. Graham’s Sanctions Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The House of Representatives approved it by a vote of 262-159. The bill will now be sent to President Trump, who is expected to sign it in the coming days.
The bill could give the president the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that buy oil from Russia. In addition to India and China, it includes Turkey, Azerbaijan, Hungary, the Slovak Republic, the UAE, Singapore, Kazakhstan and the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. Lindsey O. Graham approved the Russia and Iran Act by the U.S. Senate last month by an 86-11 vote.
Once passed by Congress, the bill will now go to President Donald Trump for his signature. The Trump administration will then have the power to impose additional sanctions and tariffs to pressure Russia and countries that continue to trade with Russian energy.
India and China are the major buyers of Russian oil. Therefore, tariffs are expected to be imposed on these countries. The US is India’s largest export market.
Russia has become India’s largest oil supplier. India imported 2.08 million barrels of crude oil per day from Russia in August. Moscow accounted for 45% of New Delhi’s crude oil imports in August. India’s imports from Russia decreased compared to July but are expected to rise again. – Agency
